Baked Rigatoni Cake

Makes: 8 to 10 serving

Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni pasta (I can’t find it in grocery store so I used tortiglioni; it is smaller and longer)
1 pound ground beef
1 (4 lings) pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (16 ounce) jars Prego® Traditional pasta sauce
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
5 sliced provolone cheese
8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and sugar to taste

Directions:
1. Bring 6 quarts of water to boil, add a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the pasta to boiling water, stir gently. Cook until slightly underdone about 12 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain well.

2. In a large skillet brown beef and stirring to break up the meat; drain off excess fat and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, brown sausage and breaking up, until cooked through. Add onion and cook until tender. Add garlic cook for a minute. Add pasta sauce and beef, season with salt and sugar, cook until hot.

3. Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end.

Pour half of meat sauce over the pasta. Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. (I used chopstick) Bake in preheat oven at 400 degree F for 15 minutes. Lay 5 slices of provolone cheese and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold. Cut into wedges and serve with remaining meat sauce.

Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Black Soy Sauce…(Phad See Eiw)

This recipe is a request from Mrs. Nirintana, Texas. I wrote in English Version so I hope her husband will cook it for her. The noodles I used are very thin so I can’t add more flavor because it might be mushy.

Make: about 4 serving

Ingredients:
½ pound pork or beef or chicken, thinly sliced and cut into bite sized pieces
3 Eggs
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
¼ teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound wide rice noodles, separated (I substituted with rice noodle sheets for spring roll)
1 pound (about 3 cups) young chinese broccoli or substitute with broccoli flowerets, carrot etc.
Black soy sauce or substitute with blackstrap molasses
Vegetable oil


**Make sure you have everything ready before begining because it’s fast cooking**

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix pork, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Let stand for at least 15 minutes.


2. To prepare the vegetables, separate the stem from the leaf. Slice the stems about ½ inch long and cut the leafs into big pieces, divide because they don’t cook at the same rate.


3. To prepare the noodle, if using rice noodles sheets. Soak about 5 noodle sheets in warm water until soft. Remove noodle sheets from the water. Place noodles sheets on a cutting board, using pizza cutter or knife, cut into ½ inch wide strips. Separate the noodles and place in a bowl. Add a little bit of oil and black soy sauce; mix until sauce covers all the noodles. Repeat directions for 1 pound of noodles. Set aside.


4. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ tablespoon fish sauce and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.

5. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add minced garlic and stir until aromatic. Add marinated meat and stir-fry until almost cooked. Move the meat to the side of the skillet. Add extra oil about 2 tablespoons to open area. Add 2 eggs beaten; scramble the egg until cooked, then move the egg to the side of the skillet with meat. Add broccoli stems and stir-fry until almost cook.


Add noodle, broccoli leafs and sauce mixture. Stir and mix everything together; cook until noodles are hot and vegetable is cooked but still crisp.


6. To serve; put on individual plate and sprinkle with ground white pepper on top and sliced of lime. You can add more flavor, if you want.

Thai BBQ Red Pork with Rice (Khao Moo Daeng)

I found many recipes for Khao Moo Dang. And this is my way to make it easy. It has always been my favorite dish.


For Pork Marinade:
1 (4 pound) pork boston butt (cut into 1 inch thick and 4 inch wide pieces)
2 envelopes of Lobo Brand roast red pork seasoning mix (2 envelopes in the package)
1 cup water
3-5 cloves garlic
½ tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3 cilantro roots (I substitute with hand full of cilantro bottom stems)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar


For Gravy:
3 cups water
8 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional)
2 tablespoons chinese cooking wine (optional)
¼ cup tapioca starch or cornstarch mix with ½ cup water
Honey (optional)

Directions:
1. Using a heavy mortar and pestle, pound garlic, black peppercorns and cilantro to a paste; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix red pork seasoning mix and water. Add garlic mixture and mix well. Add pork and hand mix for 3 minutes. Cover, and refrigerate for over night.

3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Add marinade pork and cook on both sides for 20 minutes. Meanwhile; pour 3 cups of water into the marinade bowl so that we can use it for gravy (in the next section); set aside.

After 20 minutes, remove pork from the heat and place the pork into the baking pan. Add water mixture to the skillet and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan to loosen all the drippings. Add ketchup, brown sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, sesame oil and chinese cooking wine; stir well. Slowly pour in the tapioca starch mixture while stirring the sauce, until thickened and boiling. Remove gravy from the heat.

4. Drizzle and brush honey over the pork on both sides, if desire. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes flip other side up and bake for 10 minutes.

5. To serve; slice the pork and place over the rice and top with the gravy. Garnish the top with cilantro leaves, serve with boiled egg, sliced cucumber and scallion.

Rad Nah (Noodle in Gravy)...ราดหน้าหมูหมัก

Make: 6-8 serving

For Meat Marinade:
1 pound pork or chicken, thinly sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons maggi seasoning sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tapioca starch
¼ teaspoon baking soda


Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, oil, maggi sauce and black pepper. Pour marinade over the meat; add tapioca flour and baking soda; mix well. Cover, and refrigerate for overnight.


Vegetable: Such as broccoli, carrot, cabbage, baby corn, cauliflower and young collard greens etc. Prepare the vegetables and cut as required. Bring water to a boil and add some salt. Add vegetables one kind at a time. Allow to cook about 5-10 minutes. Immediately cool down the vegetables in cold water to avoid discoloration and to keep crisp.

Dried shitake mushroom (optional) Soak shiitake mushrooms in water until soften (about 20 minutes). Squeeze dry and discard the stems, keep the water that was used for the mushrooms.


For noodles:
1 kilo (2.2 pound) wide rice noodles, separated (I substituted with rice noodle sheets for spring rolls)
Dark soy sauce or substitute with blackstrap molasses
Vegetable oil


Directions:
To prepare the noodles, if using rice noodles sheets. Soak about 5 noodle sheets in warm water until soft. Remove noodle sheets from the water. Place noodles sheets on a cutting board, using pizza cutter or knife, cut into ½ inch wide strips. Separate the noodles and place in a bowl. Add a little bit of oil and dark soy sauce; mix until sauce covers all the noodles. Repeat directions for 1 kg. noodles.

In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add noodles. Keep stirring until noodles are cooked; set aside.

For Gravy:

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

3 tablespoons salted soy beans

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce

5 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons oyster sauce

1.5 liters (5 cups) hot water (after adding shiitake mushrooms if using mushrooms)

1 egg, slightly beaten

½ cup tapioca starch or cornstarch mix with 1 cup water

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce; set aside

2. In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add Shitake mushroom and fry for 1 minute; if using. Add marinade pork and salted soy beans. Stir and cook about 3 minutes. Add hot water and sauce mixture; stir until boil. Slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture while stirring the soup, until thickened and boiling. Pour in the eggs slowly while stirring the soup in the same direction. The egg will spread and feather.

3. Put noodles and vegetable on the plate and top with the gravy. Serve hot. Enjoy!!

This recipe is from Khun ข้าวยำ@น้ำบูดู at www.bloggank.com Thank you for sharing your great recipe.

Steamed Bun with Pork Filling

I’ve tried many steamed bun recipe and this is my favorite.

Make: 13 large buns or 26 small buns

Pork Filling:
1 1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup water chestnut, finely chopped
1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
3 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil, optional
2 tablespoon chinese cooking wine or red wine, optional
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 hared boiled eggs, cooled and quartered, optional

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together except hard boiled eggs; keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Dough A:
350 gram cake flour or all-purpose-flour
1 (7-10 gram) package active dry yeast
1 cup (230 gram) warm water (120-130 degrees F)

Dough B:
150 gram cake flour or all-purpose-flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
125 gram sugar
50 gram shortening or 3-4 tablespoon vegetable oil

Paper cupcake holders or wax paper cut into 3x3 squares

Directions:
1. Place flour and yeast in the bread machine in order recommended by the manufacturer. Add water and then select dough cycle and press start for 30 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.


2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. After the dough has doubled in size; place the dough back (from step 1) in the bread machine add flour mixture. Select dough cycle and press start for 5 minutes. Add shortening; knead for 10-15 minutes and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. On a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 13 equal pieces (about 30 gram for small or 60 grams for large), and form into balls. Gently flatten the balls and make sure the center is thicker than the edge. Put the meat filling in the center of each circle. Put quarter of the hard boiled egg on the top of the meat. Fold the edges and pinch the top together and give it a twist to seal. Place the bun with pinched side up onto paper cupcake holders or wax paper squares. It will prevent the buns from sticking to the steamer. Repeat with the rest. Cover with a towel and let rise for about 1 hour.

4. Arrange bun in your steamer, 1 inch apart. Steam buns over boiling water for 12-15 minutes. Remove the lid before you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

Serve hot!

This recipe is from Khun Toom at www.pantip.com Thank you for sharing your great recipe.

Pineapple Pork Ribs (Asian Style)

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork spare ribs
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks with juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil (optional)
2 tablespoons chinese cooking wine (optional)
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons ketchup
Water (about 1-2 cups)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Green onion and red pepper for garnish (optional)


Directions:
1. Cut racks into serving-size pieces, pat dry with paper towel.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together pineapple juice, sugar, sesame oil, cooking wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce and ketchup.

3. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add ribs and slowly brown them on all sides. Drain excess fat. Add sauce mixture and pineapple chunks. Add water just enough for cover the ribs and stir. Simmer on over low heat about 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Garnished with sliced of red pepper and green onion.

This recipe is from Mrs. Moodang at www.kruaklaibaan.com Thank you for sharing your great recipe.

Toscana soup

Make : 4 serving

Ingredients:
3 links spicy Italian sausage
6 slices bacon, diced
2 medium russet potatoes, cut in half length-wise, then cut in 1/4 inch slices
1 medium onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 cups kale, cut in half, then sliced
2 tablespoons chicken base or 2 cube chicken bullion (I use pork flavor)
4 cups water
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream


Directions:
1. Remove sausage from casings; brown in a skillet, breaking up, until cooked through. Drain excess fat and set aside. In the same skillet, brown bacon; drain excess fat, set aside.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onions until tender. Add garlic cook for a minute. Add water, chicken bullion and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add sausage, bacon, kale and cream, simmer 4 minutes. Serve.

This recipe is from www.allrecipes.com

Barbecue Pork Ribs

On Christmas Day, we had food like Jim’n Nick at home.

Ingredients:
• 5 pounds pork spareribs, cut into serving size pieces
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup hickory smoke flavored barbeque sauce (Recommend Masterpiece hickory brown sugar)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
1. Place ribs in large skillet or roasting pan. Cover with lightly salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, or until meat is tender, but not quite falling off the bone. Remove from heat, and drain.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in butter until the onion is tender; remove from heat. In a blender, combine 1 cup water, vinegar, ketchup, barbeque sauce, and lemon juice. Pour in the melted butter mixture, and puree for 1 minute. Pour into a saucepan, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.


3. Place the boiled ribs in a roasting pan, and cover with sauce. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.

5. Brush grill grate with oil. Grill ribs for 10 to 20 minutes, or until well browned, basting with sauce and turning frequently.

I doubled the sauce to make pulled pork too…Yum!!